San Juan, Puerto Rico, December 20, 2023 – Maximiliano J. Trujillo -Ortega, USDA Rural Development State Director for Puerto Rico indicated that that USDA Rural Development has awarded $125,100,000 million in disaster assistance funds to the municipalities of Cabo Rojo, Guayama, Jayuya, Juncos and Lajas, to repair damages to their municipal solid waste landfills caused by Hurricanes Irma, Maria, & Fiona.
Trujillo-Ortega indicated that, “USDA’s investments will ensure that Puerto Rico can withstand future natural disasters and support a thriving and sustainable economy.” “These projects will also address environmental and health concerns and place the landfills in compliance with federal and state statutes and regulations including the resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Sanitary Landfill System Regulation of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (PRDNER).” “Today we announce that the municipality of Guayama was awarded $39,500,000 in grant to repair it landfill”
Funding for the projects come from $163.4 million supplemental grant funding appropriated by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 for repairs to water and solid waste systems impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, And Maria (HIM) in 2017. Of these, 102.9 million were allocated to repair and rebuild Puerto Rico’s hurricane-damage landfills and the remaining were obligated for water systems repair projects for the Puerto Rico Sewer and Aqueduct Authority (PRASA) and non-PRASA community water systems.
For example:
- The municipality of Cabo Rojo received $3.9 million to build a new cell in the land field.
- The municipality of Guayama received $28.4 million to construct a cell, relocate a culvert and establish a recycling and bale and wrap facility.
- The municipality of Jayuya received $29.6 million to close a cell, build a new cell and establish a recycling and bale and wrap facility.
- The municipality of Juncos received $23.6 million to close a cell and construct three.
- The municipality of Lajas received $17.2 million to close two cells and build three.
The municipality of Guayama also received $11.1 million under the Calendar Year 2022 Disaster Water Grants Program to close a cell. This fund, appropriated under the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2023, help communities repair damages caused by presidential declared disasters during 2022, including Hurricane Fiona.
Under the leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov. To subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit the GovDelivery subscriber page.
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